Jon Hassell/Farafina — Flash of the Spirit (tak:til/Glitterbeat)
Flash of the Spirit by Jon Hassell / Farafina
Think long enough about Jon Hassell’s music and a paradox emerges. Hassell is an iconic trumpet player; he’s recorded albums for ECM and carved out a peculiar space for his “fourth world” imagery — effectively soundtracking a surreal and fictional part of the globe while nodding in the direction of numerous musical traditions.
But Hassell is also a prime collaborator: he might be best-known for Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics, his 1980 album with Brian Eno, but it’s far from alone in his discography. He’s also worked with Davids Sylvian and Toop; now, via Glitterbeat’s tak:til imprint, his 1987 collaboration with the Burkina Faso-based group Farafina is back in print.
Though to label Flash of the Spirit as simply a collaboration between Hassell and Farafina might be somewhat misleading. This is one where reading the liner notes can be enlightening: they explain that Daniel Lanois recorded the group in 1987; after that, Brian Eno “carved and shaped the remaining mixes.” Hassell himself is credited with “the creation and fitting together of electronic musical superstructure with pre-existing Farafina compositions.”
All of that is to say that, while the prospect of Hassell sitting in with Farafina for a set could be inviting enough, that’s not what’s going on with this album. There’s a copious amount of musical talent on display here, but it’s also difficult to suss out precisely who did what — which, considering the notion of the studio as an instrument unto itself, is far from a bad thing.
The resulting album is one that can be propulsive, but is largely concerned with creating thoroughly immersive sonic spaces. “Kaboo [Play]” abounds with vocal give-and-take and subtly played propulsive; those elements are, in turn, surrounded by a shimmering keyboard sound. It’s an ethos that doesn’t sound pinned to a specific time or place, which accounts for much of its charm and power.
While Hassell’s name is billed first, this is the sort of collaboration in which both parties can share the spotlight. Farafina drummer Paco Yé takes the spotlight on “Air Afrique [Wind],” which is based around one of his compositions. Percussion is also at the center of the song, even as synthetic melodies and chanted lyrics surround it.
Still, Hassell is a tremendously skilled player, and on songs such as “(Like) Warriors Everywhere [Courage],” his resonant tone doubles back on itself. Between this and sheets of percussion, the effect is all-encompassing. It’s one of many places on Flash where the musicians and producers seem entirely in sync, pushing forward to create something new, a glimpse of the jazz standards of an alternate Earth.
